NancyNews

STAR GAZER, Nancy Guzik, Watercolor, 1.25”x1.25” Painting being placed in the young scientist’s experiment; the artwork is protected in glassine envelopes sealed with waterproof tape. (Now in orbit thanks to Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, http://www.vcs.net/)

Paintings by well-known American artists Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik were successfully delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) on December 9 by the Cygnus spacecraft. As part of a joint science/art mission which included a science experiment from students at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, CA, Richard and Nancy’s art is now orbiting the planet every 93 minutes!

SANTA MARIA II, Richard Schmid, Watercolor, 1.25”x1.25” Painting being placed in the young scientist’s experiment; the artwork is protected in glassine envelopes sealed with waterproof tape. (Now in orbit thanks to Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, http://www.vcs.net/)

An earlier attempt to send their art (and that of Richard’s granddaughter, Samantha) to the ISS failed when the Falcon 9 supply rocket carrying the artwork exploded shortly before achieving orbit. Undaunted, Richard and Nancy made a new set of paintings for this successful second attempt.

Richard expressed his thanks for this achievement to James Nadir, a Silicon Valley engineer who retired from Intel and now mentors students in the Valley Christian High School ISS program. An artist himself, Jim had invited Richard, Nancy and Samantha to create art to accompany his students’ science experiment on its voyage to the ISS. Breathing a sigh of relief at this successful second attempt, Jim remarked, “So it’s now OK to say Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik have the fastest art in the world!”

Commenting on the mission, Jim said, “What is important is not only that their art is orbiting our planet, but they also have dedicated it to the bright young people who get themselves involved in the arts and sciences. There is a real world out there waiting, filled with beauty and wonder, which can only be experienced by being part of it.”

The artworks were loaded aboard the students’ Vibration Experiment. This is the experiment that caught the attention of NASA’s leading scientists. The experiment was sent to NASA after qualification checks were done, and is now traveling with the artworks in space on the International Space Station. (Now in orbit thanks to Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA. http://www.vcs.net/)

The Valley Christian High School ISS program, which is open to all schools, currently has schools from around the world, from Finland to Indonesia, participating to fly their experiments on the ISS. (For more information about the program, contact Werner Vavken at wvavken@vcs.net)

Although Richard’s granddaughter was unable to join in this second attempt, on December 6 the experiments and the new artworks by Nancy and Richard were successfully launched aboard an Atlas V rocket carrying Orbital Science’s Cygnus spacecraft. The Cygnus spacecraft rendezvoused with the ISS on December 9, and was pulled in by the robotic arm.

The experiments, along with the art, are now orbiting Earth every 93 minutes. This art/science wonder is expected to circle the earth 330 times at a speed of 17,500 mph, at an altitude of 221 miles, for a total distance traveled of 9 million miles. If the mission is extended, it could cover as many as 25 million miles.

To find out when the Orbiting Fine Art Gallery will be passing overhead (although it may just look like a slow-moving star), visit: NASA's ISS-spotting site.

Richard and Nancy’s artwork, along with the student’s experiments, arriving at the ISS. The Cygnus spacecraft is about to be pulled in by the robotic arm.